XI'AN — The foreign trade of Northwest China's Shaanxi province rose by 25.1 percent to around 265.4 billion yuan (about $40.95 billion) in the first seven months of 2021, local customs authorities said.

The figure represents the first time this year that the growth rate of Shaanxi's foreign trade has exceeded that of the whole country, said customs of the provincial capital Xi'an.

During the period, the province's exports stood at 136.2 billion yuan, up by 30.3 percent year-on-year, while its imports rose by 20.1 percent to 129.1 billion yuan, it said.

The export of Shaanxi's mechanical and electrical products grew by 33.9 percent to about 123 billion yuan, accounting for more than 90 percent of the province's total.

Shaanxi saw active trade relations with countries along the Belt and Road during the period, registering a total trade of nearly 43.5 billion yuan with these countries, up by 25.9 percent year-on-year.